The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-08-13
TEMPERANCE.
A COMPLETE vINpICATtoN.

Mr. IOWuerly'S ArgumelsN an Defense OF
His Position on the Temperance Oues-
ton.
Among the letters that came to me to-
day, l ind one from an old friend who
takes me to task for my words on the Tenn
perance question, spoken some ten days
ago in Boston and Lynn. He says:
I'm the main you are right, even the rum
seller himself will not deny the justice of your
position, but remember that in the very organ
lZatlon of which you are the head, there
are good men who drink; there are
thousands who will not agree with you, and
after all why do you so bitterly arragn the poor
drunkard! 1t is not required of you by the con-
stitution or laws of the Knights OF Labor. You
could well afford to remain silent or at least
neutral, preferring to teach rather by example
than precept etc. livery much fear that
you will be misunderstood, etc."
My friend makes the candid admission,
in starting out, that in the main am right;
that even the rum seller will not DENY the
justice of my position. Having said as
much, he should have stopped-even then
he told me nothing new. l know that in
refusing to even touch drop of strong
drink was, and am right. In refusing to
treat another to that which l do not be-
lieve to be good for myself to drink, 1
know am right. In refusing to associate
with men who get drunk, l know l am
right. In not allowing rum-seller to
gain admittance into the order of
the Knights of Labor, 1 know !
am right In advising our assem-
blies not to rent halls or meeting
rooms over drinking.places 1 know
l am right l have done this from
the day my voice was first heard in
the council h alls of our order. My posi-.
q r Of
i am determined to maintain it. and will
not alter it one jot or little. If Sin the
main" am right, why shoull l alter my
course' If the man who sells liquor will
mot deny the justice" of my position,
why should l deviate to the right or left!
Ii he will not deny, why should he not ad-
nit that am right2 / know that in the
organization of which am the head, there
are many good men who drink, but they
would be better men if they did not drink
know that there are thousands in our
order who will not agree with me on the
| question of Temperance, but that is their
misfortune, for they are wrong, radically
wrong
Ten years ago l was Kissed because l
advised men to let strong drink alone
They Threatened to rotten egg me- l con-
tinted to advise mon to be temperate, and
though | have had no experience that
would qualify me to render an opinion on
the efficacy of a rotten egg as an ally OF
the rum -drinler, yet l would prefer to
have my exterior decorated from summit
| to base with the rankest kind of rotten
eggs, rather than allow one drop of liquid
vlllainy to pass my lips, or to have the end
of my nose illuminated by the blossom
! that follows the planting of the seeds of
hatred, envy, malice and damnation, all of
which are represented in a solitary glass
| Of gin.
Ten years ago the cause of Temperance
was not so respectable as it is to-day, be-
cause there were not so many respectable
men and women advocating it. 1t has
| gained ground; it is gaining ground, and
all because men and women who believed
in it could not be brow beaten or fright
ened. Neither the Kissing of geese or
serpents, nor the throwing of rotten eggs,
has stopped or even delayed the march OF
| Temperance among the workers.
Why do l so bitterly arraign the poor
| drunkardl" For the reason that he:is a
| drunkard, and because he has made him.
self poor through his love Of drink. Did
| l, or any other man, rob him Of the money
he has squandered in drink; did l make
him poor, the vllest' names that tongue
can frame would he apply to me. Must !
stand idly by and remain silent while he
robs himself! Did he rob only himself it
would not make so much difference. He
robs parents, wife and children. He robs
his aged father and mother through love
/ of drink. He gives for rum what should
go for their support. When they MUIR
muir he turns them from his door,
and points his contaminated drunken
finger toward the poor-house. He next
turns toward his wife and robs her
of what should be devoted to the keep
ing Of her home in comfort and
plenty. He robs her of her wedding
ring and pawns it for drink. He turns his
daughter from his door in "a fit of drunken
anger, and drives her to the house of pros
ttution, and then accepts from her hands
the proceeds of her shame. To satisfy his
love OF drink he takes the price of his
child's virtue and innocence from her sin.
stained, lust bejeweled fingers, and wit h
IL totters to the bar to pay it TO the man
%ho ''does not deny the justice OF my DO.
sition." do not arraign the man who
drinks because he is poor, but because
through being slave to drink he has
made himself and family poor do not
hate the man who drinks, for l have car
fIeu drunken men 10 Jnelf homes on
my back rather than to allow them to re-
main exposed to inclement weather. | do
not hate the drunkard-he is what drink
has effected; and while do not hate the
effect, l abhor and loathe the cause
Take the lists of labor societies of Amer
lea, and the total sum paid into their treas
uries from all sources from their organi-
cation TO the present time does not exceed
s5,0O0,00O The Knights of Labor is the
/ largest and most influential of them all,
and though SO much has been said concern
ing the vast amount of money that has
been collected from the members, yet the
total sum levied and collected for all pur-
poses-per capita tax Journal assistance
fund, appeals, assessments, insurance and
co-operation-up to the present time, win
not exceed $500, 00J
Now let us turn to the other side In
the city of New York alone it is estimated
that not less than $3.50, 0J0 day are spent
for drink; 81, 800, 900 in one week: $75, 00O-
900 in one year. Who will dispute it when
j say that one-half OF the policemen of
New York City are employed to watch the
beings who squander the Si5 900 0J0 Il year!
Who will dispute it when say that the
money spent in paying the salaries and
expenses of one-half of the police of New
York could be saved to the tax
payer if S75,000,000 were not de-